A Dunedin bar has received the supreme accolade from Whisky Magazine, the British publication dedicated to promoting excellence in all things whisky. Scotia Bar and Bistro has been awarded a Gold Bar by the internationally distributed magazine.Dunedin Home to Australasia’s Only ‘Gold Bar’ Whisky Award

A Dunedin bar has received the supreme accolade from Whisky Magazine, the British publication dedicated to promoting excellence in all things whisky. Scotia Bar and Bistro has been awarded a Gold Bar by the internationally distributed magazine. In 2012, Scotia Bar and Bistro is Australasia’s only recipient.

For the owners, Jazz and Mary Jane Hewitson, it’s the second time that an establishment of theirs has received this whisky gong but this time it came as a complete surprise.

Jazz says, “We hadn’t applied for the award, so when it arrived in the mail we were absolutely over the moon. We assume that someone must have nominated us. We are thrilled to be the only recipient in Australasia and also proud for Dunedin. It can only add to the flavour of the city’s strong Scottish heritage.”

The criteria for the award include the range of whiskies, the staff and their knowledge of whisky, the quality of glassware, and the venue.

Scotia Bar and Restaurant features around 300 whiskies, mostly single malts. The collection has many rare and special whiskies including those from most of the closed distilleries and a large number of independent bottlings, including Dunedin’s Milford whisky, which ceased production in 1999. A dram of whisky is presented in a Glencairn glass from the world’s leading manufacturer of whisky glassware in Scotland.

Jazz Hewitson’s interest in whisky began more than 25 years ago when he and his brother had a competition to see who could be first to collect 100 different whiskies – Jazz lost but didn’t stop collecting.

Now Scotia Bar and Bistro, housed inone of Dunedin’s iconic Terraced Houses in Stuart Street, canofficiallyboast the best tipple both sides of the Tasman.